Bucket elevator



F. B. WHILE AND T. OSULLIVAN.

BUCKET ELEVATOR. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, P919- Patenfied Nov. 2,1920.

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F. B. WHILE ANDT. OSULLIVAN. BUCKET ELEVATOR- APPLICATION FILED-MAR. 26,m9.

W AQJML UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Farmers BENJAMIN WHILE AND THOMAS OSULLIVAN, or SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND,ASSIGNORS or ONE-THIRD To cnonen siznn, or SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND.

BUCKET ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Application filed March 26, 1919. Serial No. 285,368.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, FRANCIS BENJAMIN WHILEand THOMAS OSULLIVAN, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, andboth residing at Southampton, in the county of Hampshire, England, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Bucket Elevators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in bucket elevators for digging,lifting and transferring loose coal, grain, ore and like materials, andmore especially intended for discharging 'colliers, barges and the like,and bunkering ships.

According to our invention non-tipping rigid buckets are articulatedtogether to form in themselves an endless chain which possesses greatrigidity with flexibility in working.

ging as well as lifting loose coal and other heavy materials whichcannot be satisfactorily done with buckets that are attached to anendless belt. The hinges of the buckets engage with recesses inthe'driving wheel and constitute a good driving connection which avoidsslip. The buckets are further so constructed that the rear wall and rearwardly extended sides of each bucket c011- stitute a chute down whichthe materials from the succeeding bucket 1n the series as the latterbucket passes over the top wheelof the ladder, are discharged, clear ofthe bucket ladder.

Any suitable or convenient means may be provided for supporting thebucket ladder and for adjusting it vertically and horizontally. Asuitable means for this purpose is hereinafter described.

Referringto the accompanying drawing,-

which illustrates our invention:

. Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a p This construction ofbucket lad-* der enables the buckets to be used for dig frame 13 of anyusual or suitable type, and an endless chain of buckets C, C mounted onsaid wheels. Each bucket C is a rigid structu're formed by a front wall1, a rear wall 2 and side walls 3, 3. The rear wall 2 and side walls 3,3 are extended beyond the receptacle part proper of the bucket, as shownat l and 5 respectively, and further the side walls are extendedrearwardly beyond the rear wall 2 forming wings 6, 6. Each bucket ismoreover constructed with a hinge l1ke connection 7, at each end, sothat the several buckets may be articulated together by pins 8, 8 toform an endless chain of buckets. The side wings 6, 6 of each bucket areinset at their rear extremities as shown at 9, 9, Fig. 2, so as to fitbetween the side walls of the next-succeeding bucket. The inclination ofthe front and rear walls 1, 2 is such that when'the chain of buckets ismountedon the wheels A, A of the ladder, the outer face of the rear wallof each bucket is in line with the inner face of the front wall of thefollowing bucket when these buckets are passing over the wheel A. Thiswill be readily seen from an inspection of Fig. 1. The hinges of thebuckets when.

passing over the driving wheel A engage with transverse recesses 1a inthe face of said wheel andthus insure a good driving connection whichavoids slip.

Referring to Fig. 3, D is a standard which may rest on a quay wall, orfloating deck. E is an arm one end of which is pivotally mounted on thestandard and prefer ably adjustable c. g. in a bracket F on saidstandard, and the other end of which is adjustably supported by ropes Gpassing around a pulley H. The frame 13 of the bucket ladder issuspended from the outer end of the arm E. The arm E may be connected tothe frame of the bucket ladder at its upper end or at'a pointsubstantially below the upper end of the frame. Another arm J pivotallyconnected to the standard carries block K which is connected to anintermediate part of the frame B and which can slide in a slot L in thearm J. An endless chain or rope M passing around pulleys N, O isconnected to the block K. Bymoving this chain or rope the position ofthe lower end of the bucket ladder can be adjusted as required. 1 is amotor supplying the power for driving the buckets, through drivingchains Q, R, S, for raising and lowering the arm E through drivingchains T, V, and for adjusting the position of the bucket ladder throughthe chain or rope WI. The motor is shown at the foot of the standard,but it may be mounted on the standard itself at any suitable partthereof. W is a barge from which materials are to be discharged and Y isa vessel to be loaded. 10 is the upper part of a chute carried by theframe of the bucket ladder and open at the side facing the buckets onthe delivery side of the top wheel A. Into this chute the materials aredischarged from the buckets. 11, 11 are guide plates fixed in the chuteand 12 is a flexible extension of the chute. Preferably the wheels A, Aare flanged at 13 to prevent the buckets moving laterally on the wheels.

What we claim is 1. In a bucket elevator for digging, lifting andtransferring pulverulent, granular and lumpy material, a series ofbuckets each having an extension of its rear wall prolonged beyond thereceptacle portion thereof, and hinge connections between the saidextension of the rear wall of each bucket and the front wall of thesucceeding bucket.

2. In a bucket elevator for digging, lifting and transferringpulverulent, granular and lumpy material, a series of buckets eachhaving extensions of its rear and side walls prolonged beyond thereceptacle portion thereof, and hinge connections between the saidextension of the rear wall of each bucket and the front wall of thesucceeding bucket. Y

3. In a bucket elevator for digging, lift- I and lumpy material, aseries of buckets each comprising front and rear walls, said rear wallseach having an extension beyond the receptacle part thereof, hingeconnections between the rear wall extension of each bucket and the frontwall of the succeeding bucket to form an endless chain of said buckets,and'a wheel over which the said chain passes, the hinge connectionsprotruding only on that face of the chain or buckets which is toward thewheel so that each rear wall extension forms a closely adjacentcontinuation of the front wall of the succeeding bucket as the bucketspass around the said wheel.

5. In a bucket elevator for digging, lifting and transferringpulverulent, granular and lumpy material, a series of buckets forming anendless chain, the rear wall of each bucket having an extension, a hingeconnection between an extension of the rear wall of each bucket and thefront wall of the succeeding bucket, the side walls of the bucketshaving extensions beyond the receptacle parts thereof, a wheel aroundwhich the said chain passes, said wheel having re cesses to receive thehinge connections as they pass around the wheel, and flanges on saidwheel intermediate said recesses to prevent lateral movement of thebuckets on said wheels.

6. In a bucket elevator for digging, lifting andtransferringpulverulent, granular and lumpy material, a series ofbuckets each having an extension of its rear wall prolonged beyond thereceptacle portion thereof, hinge connections between the said extensionof the rear wall of each bucket and the front wall of the succeedingbucket, a ladder frame, wheels around which the buckets passat the upperand lower ends of the said ladder frame, a standard, an arm on which theupper end of the ladder frame is pivotally supported and which ispivotally supported on the said standard, a second arm pivoted tothe'standard and a block movable along the said second arm and having apivotal connection to the ladder frame at an intermediate part thereof.

7. In a bucket elevator for digging, lifting and transferringpulverulent, granular and lumpy material, a series of buckets eachhaving an extension of its rear wall prolonged beyond the receptacleportion thereof, hinge connections between the said extension of therear wall of each bucket and the front wall of the succeeding bucket, aladder frame, wheels around which the buckets pass at the upper andlower ends of the said ladder frame, a standard, a bracket on the saidstandard, an arm on which the upper end of the ladder frame is pivotallysupported and which has an adjustable pivotal support on the saidbracket, a second arm pivoted to the standard, and a block movable alongthe said second arm and having a pivotal connection to the ladder-frameat an intermediate part thereof.

FRANCIS BENJAMIN WHIL THOMAS OSULLIVAN.

Witnesses HARRY J. BAvnnsrooK,

CHARLES PACK.

